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What is Religion’s Place in the Workplace?

Author: Patrick Ropella  Posted 1 year, 2 weeks, 5 hours, 29 minutes ago.  

Pat shares his thoughts…
With Easter week upon us…and Workforce Management magazine making this topic their cover story…it’s the right time to tackle this touchy subject.  First some facts & quotes: More than 80 percent of all Americans consider themselves religious or spiritual. “Religion and spiritual belief may be a deeply private matter for some employees, but it is part of who they are. Historically, a person’s religious beliefs were considered private. But in this Facebook age, the private has become public and the personal has become professional. In the old business model, you were at a job to work.  In the new model, people want to balance their whole life,” says David Miller, Director of Faith & Work Initiative at Princeton University. 

At Ropella we try hard to be inclusive and accepting of all our team members’ beliefs, and no one should be afraid to stand for what they believe in either.  That may create some spirited debate… but then so what - we’re all adults.  We also encourage our team to support their faith-based charities here.

So, if you are wondering why we are talking about this subject now, it is because this week’s events build up to the Highest Christian Holy Day of the entire year - Easter. The day we celebrate the Resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ!

Robbie responds…
Easter is an important day to many of our staff members.  While they may celebrate it differently based on their particular beliefs, we encourage them and allow them to take the time off that is necessary to participate in various services.  People of faith are more likely to volunteer in their community, they have a stronger work ethic, handle a crisis better, and are an encouragement and help to those around them.  That being said, they should be able to have the necessary time off.  After all, smokers are allowed smoke breaks for something that is actually harmful and a detriment to their health, so let’s support those who are making a positive impact on their work force and surrounding communities. Happy EASTER!!

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Have a Heart for Those in Need

Author: Robbie Ropella  Posted 1 year, 1 month, 1 week, 4 days, 19 hours, 16 minutes ago.  

Robbie shares her thoughts…
Watching the news can be an addiction for sure, especially when we become immersed in the updates on natural disasters such as the earthquake and tsunami that just occurred over in Japan.  It’s heartbreaking to hear of the loss of life and other families searching desperately to find and locate their missing loved ones.  This may be politically incorrect to say, but as a women, these stories effect me emotionally and pull on my heart strings motivating me to take action in some small way. 

With the busy schedules we all face, it only takes a moment to break away and make an impact and feel as if you’re making a difference by giving online to various reputable organizations.  With technology as it is, we are truly a global world and are connected by simply turning on CNN.  Let’s use that technology to make a difference and impact others’ lives. One person can make a difference.

Pat responds…
As a highly focused man, I might tend to focus on my business here and not pay much attention to what happens on the other side of the planet. This is how a lot of men compartmentalize things as a means of focusing on the goal. It sounds cold, but we sometimes just don’t think about it if it’s not right in front of us. On the other hand, Hurricane Ivan, a category 5, came right through my backyard In Pensacola, FL a few years back and knocked my business completely out of commission for more than 30 days. Thank God we got help from others or we never would have been able to recover from the loss of income and the mountain of payroll and bills. So let’s not shut off the bad news just because it’s not directly happening to us. Because bad news just as easily could be our turn next - that’s called perspective. Reach out and help others whenever and wherever you can and as often as possible - that’s called paying it forward.

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It’s Springtime

Author: Patrick Ropella  Posted 1 year, 2 months, 2 weeks, 2 days, 8 hours, 50 minutes ago.  

Pat shares his thoughts…
Ahhh…spring is in the air.  This week we got a nice Caribbean style wind blowing straight into the panhandle of Florida; as a result the average temperature was in the low 70’s - Perfect! I sure am looking forward, over the coming weeks, to getting my golf clubs cleaned, my surf boards waxed, the jet ski’s tuned in, and my sunroof opened up.  Now the challenging part is finding time to play the links, hit the waves, and actually taking some time off to enjoy this great spring weather.

I have almost twenty five direct reports, between full time and part time employees, including independent contractors who work in my leadership, and at some point during the week they all need some help from me on projects, with questions or creative solutions, etc.  I also have a large list of client and candidate relationships I am regularly responsible for maintaining.

So while I may have grandiose ideas of enjoying the beautiful weather and experiencing a little down time, the truth of the matter is it’s Saturday - 1:00 PM, and I’m in my office right now writing this blog post, and I’ve been here since very early in morning.  Please don’t get me wrong - as I’m not complaining.  Quite the contrary, I am extremely blessed.  God’s given me a thriving business and a gift for organization, and I love my work.  I just need more balance, more time to play, and more fun in the sun. I need to improve last year’s record of all work and no play. Just praying that by the time I do get out to play - spring will still be here. 

Robbie responds…
Spring in Florida is indeed the best season of all and it doesn’t last long.  That is why I’m am taking action to make sure Pat doesn’t miss it being bogged down in the office.  I have taken the liberty of going into his daily planner for the next 6 weeks and scheduling a fun outing every other Saturday and every other Sunday.  Pat lives by this calendar and this way he won’t over commit and will have the time to enjoy the fun things in life.  Powder-white sandy beaches, playing golf with his two sons, jet skiing through the surf, taking his grandson, Landon, to the Zoo, and of course kayaking and playing tennis with the love of his life, me!

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Looking Back on the Holidays

Author: Robbie Ropella  Posted 1 year, 3 months, 1 week, 6 days, 22 hours, 55 minutes ago.  

Robbie shares her thoughts…
Looking back I am reminded how hectic the Holiday season just was. Compound your job responsibilities with purchasing and decorating your Christmas tree to attending social engagements, (not forgetting children’s Christmas performances) and before you know it your calendar is totally jam packed. It sure can be difficult to find a work life balance during the holidays! 

Now that it’s over, I’m looking back, and analyzing what I could do next holiday season to simplify my life more, and how I can better control the crazy mayhem that adds so much stress to what should be a lovely time with family and friends. Here are the choices I made and am going to carry forward to put balance back into my holidays:

• Purchase gift cards for those who are hard to shop for. Why run around in frustration searching for that perfect gift when they’d be just as happy with a gift card? They’re easy to wrap & mail too.  KISS = Keep it simple stupid.
• Delegating more to others. This year my husband, Pat, was delegated the task of stringing up lights and decorations. I prefer to have full control over such things, but I let Pat and his friend Dan do the honors. It was quite beautiful and freed me up to finish the tree inside. Need to do even more delegating.
• Celebrate early - as you can never be in two places at once. Pat and I celebrated Christmas a week early with our Grandson Landon. After all he’s only 1, and still enjoyed the gifts. This way we weren’t so rushed and could then travel to celebrate with parents and relatives the week of Christmas. Need to better spread out the Holiday visits to control the hectic pace.
• Cater early and often. While staying home and cooking a great big dinner for those you love may seem ideal, what if you simply have too many obligations? This year time just wouldn’t allow for me to go shopping, make a huge dinner, clean up, pack my bags, and leave the following day for Wisconsin. Pat came up with the perfect solution. He suggested we order food from a favorite restaurant. I set the table, Pat picked up the food, and everything was delicious.

Pat responds…
I couldn’t agree more. In the workplace simplifying, using delegation, controlling schedules, and using resource management is all part of being a good leader. Why not bring more of what you’re taught in the professional world to bear on your personal life?

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